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    #46
    Re: Uu q&a

    I started a Roots class and went to a social justice meeting but I am lazy. Do you know of CUUPS? Ther is not Tx chapter

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      #47
      Re: Uu q&a

      There are 3 CUUPS chapters in Texas, two of which are with-in drive-able distance and then there are 4 UU Fellowships, and the CUUPS chapters are the same as the UU Fellowships so do they have service the same time or are they separate?
      "If you want to know what a man is like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." -- Sirius Black

      "Time is an illusion, lunch time doubly so."-- Ford Prefect

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        #48
        Re: Uu q&a

        Originally posted by kalynraye View Post
        There are 3 CUUPS chapters in Texas, two of which are with-in drive-able distance and then there are 4 UU Fellowships, and the CUUPS chapters are the same as the UU Fellowships so do they have service the same time or are they separate?
        Call the congregation. I don't attend CUUPs services. The UU congregation we go to has a Pagan group (but not CUUPS) that meets for sabbat rituals, but we go to regular services on sundays.
        Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
        sigpic

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          #49
          Re: Uu q&a

          Originally posted by kalynraye View Post
          There are 3 CUUPS chapters in Texas, two of which are with-in drive-able distance and then there are 4 UU Fellowships, and the CUUPS chapters are the same as the UU Fellowships so do they have service the same time or are they separate?
          All the CUUPS except Houston is close to me and even then it is a 2 hour drive.

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            #50
            Re: Uu q&a

            Originally posted by thalassa View Post
            Well...a Unitarian Universalist is someone that follows the theologically diverse religion of Unitarian Universalism, which is a non-creedal religion (basically there are no theological tests of belief) that is guided instead by 7 principles.

            The 7 principles are:
            *The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
            *Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
            *Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
            *A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
            *The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
            *The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
            *Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

            The UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association) is congregationalist (which means that individual congregations are independent and can determine their own ways in which to interpret and act upon the 7 principles) and formed with the merger of the Unitarian and Universalist chrurches in about 50 years ago. Both Unitarianism and Universalism are Christian doctrines, the first which rejects the Trinity and (usually) the divinity of Jesus as Christ and the second which believes in universal salvation, regardless of belief. Among UU congregations there are atheists, humanists, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Pagans and more...I forget the actual percentages, but in the last survey, I think of UU's are identify as Pagan and/or Earth based Spirituality.
            Wow! That sounds really cool. I've never heard of such a thing. What do you discuss during meetings? Would you be likely to hear anyone from the groups you mentioned speaking or addressed in a meaningful way during meetings? In other words do you explore different religious ideas in your meetings? Is there open discussions rather than sermon type talks?

            I do reject the Trinity, but believe Jesus was Christ . . . would someone with a disagreement such as that be welcome as a member?

            - - - Updated - - -

            Originally posted by Celliehwyn View Post
            I grew up in the UU church is this area and I still feel like an outsider. I stopped going because the "sermons" were too general, to the point of not making me feel like it contained any spirituality at ALL. My mom says she left because a lot of the founding members where atheists and were always fighting with our minister about even mentioning "god" or religion so that's probably why. Also the structure is Christian, preach, sing a hymn, preach some more about being a good person, another hymn. It was boring! So if I'm going to do something boring on sundays I might as well sleep in :P
            Oh, dear. It sounded so good until I read this. I wonder if there are variations on how things are done depending upon geographical location?

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              #51
              Re: Uu q&a

              Originally posted by Pathway Machine View Post
              Wow! That sounds really cool. I've never heard of such a thing. What do you discuss during meetings? Would you be likely to hear anyone from the groups you mentioned speaking or addressed in a meaningful way during meetings? In other words do you explore different religious ideas in your meetings? Is there open discussions rather than sermon type talks?

              I do reject the Trinity, but believe Jesus was Christ . . . would someone with a disagreement such as that be welcome as a member?
              Well, the UUA was founded as a merger of the Unitarian Church (the Unitarians reject the Trinity) and the Universalist Church (Universalists believe in Universal salvation)--its origin is Christian. Its been my experience, in a variety of congregations, that about 1/3 of congregants are atheist, agnostic, and/or humanist, another third are spiritual and/or religious without being Christian (this is where you find your Pagans, among others), and the last third are maybe some sort of Jewish and/or Christian-ish religious or spiritual beliefs. Some congregations are more Christian, others more atheist, etc--one I went to was more Buddhist! While anyone that accepts the 7 principles should be welcome, we all know that humans often fail at living up to their ideals...and that there can be some discomfort between the different beliefs which can lead to conflict.

              What is discussed depends--regardless of topic, it generally is reflective about how to live more fully in the UU principles. Many discussions are about what it means to be human and to treat one another with respect, also about our responsibility to the environment, often in the context of various religious beliefs. During the summer, UU sermons are often delivered by members of the congregation (sort of reminds me of Mormons there)--my husband and I gave a sermon on the 150th anniversary of Antietam on the human cost of the American Civil War and I've attended services on the spiritual significance of the Drake Equation (the equation that suggests the number of planets in the Universe with intelligent life), so there's a big variety.

              When it comes to different religious ideas, yeah, our congregation does that fairly often too. We've had guest sermons by other UU ministers (one of the local ones is also Wiccan), by the head of a local Sikh temple, by a liberal Rabbi, etc...and yes, they were religious and interfaith and built on the idea of X element of Y faith and how it is also a UU idea. We've had Christian members lead Christian-ish (though not explicitly so) services, and Pagan members lead Pagan-ish services. Our congregation celebrates Seder, we do a Christmas pagent, we celebrate all 8 sabbats (as part of EarthRising, the Pagan group)... Plus, UU has some of its own traditions--our congregation (which has a lot of military members and vets in fellowship with a lot of pacifists) does an almost laying of the hands sort of community blessing and healing as part of Veterans Day, and the UU as a whole has what they call the water communion and the flower communion...and there's Chalica.



              Oh, dear. It sounded so good until I read this. I wonder if there are variations on how things are done depending upon geographical location?
              UU is Congregationalist. Not sure if you are familiar with Congregationalism, but basically it means that the congregation drives how the church is run in terms of policies, etc. The congregation we have been going to has a Sunday Services Committee that determines topics, speakers, etc. If you don't like the congregation in your area, you can try to find another one, you can be part of the UU's Church for the Larger Fellowship (basically a giant global, partially online church for people without congregations), or you can suck it up and work for change.

              Sometimes I think we are too quick to cry foul and not advocate for what we want.

              I'll be the first to admit that the main church service isn't deeply ecstatic, though its reflective and inspiring. While its not regularly some incredibly deep worship experience, it (depending on the congregation) CAN occur in small group worship--like CUUPS (the UU Pagan group, etc). But its like anything else--you get what you put into it. If all you do is sit there, well...yeah, its not going to mean much.
              Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
              sigpic

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                #52
                Re: Uu q&a

                Originally posted by thalassa View Post
                I'll be the first to admit that the main church service isn't deeply ecstatic, though its reflective and inspiring. While its not regularly some incredibly deep worship experience, it (depending on the congregation) CAN occur in small group worship--like CUUPS (the UU Pagan group, etc). But its like anything else--you get what you put into it. If all you do is sit there, well...yeah, its not going to mean much.
                i admire your enthusiasm and knowledge. You make it sound like a uniquely positive take on religion, with its tolerance and diversity. I don't like syncretistic organized religion. If, comparably speaking, you have a whiskey you have a whiskey, and if you have a coke you have a coke. Its fine to mix them, but don't insist they are still either a whiskey or a coke. They are now a whiskey and coke.

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